Photographic print exposing and handling apparatus



Sept. 22, 1931. J, 5. GREENE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT EXPO-SING AND HANDLINIG APPARATUS Original Filed May 12, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR CJ Zn S. fireeqze zls ATTORNEYS Sept. 22, 1931. J. 5. GREENE -PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT EXP O SING AND HANDLING APPARATUS Original Filed May 1 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 1/2221 5. Greg /26,

%1Is ATTORNEYfi Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES-8 PATENT OFFICE- some a. canine, or aocns'raa, NEW YORK, a'ssronon r rno'ros'ra'r coaroaa'rrou,

or raovmaucza anona ISLAND, a coaroaa'rron or axons 1mm) rno'roemmc ram mosme am mama arraaa'rus Original application fled Kay 18, 1988, Serial Io. 688,644. Divided and this application fled Aunlt 89, v

1888. lerial Io. 802,807.

My present invention relates photography and more particularly to machines of the character known as commercial cameras for photogra hing records of documents and other small 0 jects, and it has for its object to provide a simple efiicient and serviceable apparatus ofthis ind offering greater convenience in operation and manipulation.

in the exposing, developing and drying of the photographlc sensitive material, the lpurpose-of the machine being to finally de iver the completed print in adry condition.

This application is a division of my prior application Serial No. 638,644, filed May 12,

1923, now iatent No. 1,683,883, issued September 11, 1928, entitled Photographic print drying apparatus in which the showmg is substantially the same but in WhlCh I have claimed the drying apparatus per se.

:0 The present subject matter, as above stated relates broadly to the generalcombination of a drier associated in a particular manner with the other mechanisms which operate upon the print, the whole being made avail- .15 able as a continuous process.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being -80. pointed .out in the claims at the end of the specification;

In the drawings:

Fi 1 is a side elevation of a camera provide with automatic developing means and fitted with a drying a paratus constructed in accordance with an illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

, Fi 2is an enlar ed central section through the dryer and a ragment of the adjacent developing apparatus;

' Fig. 3 is a rear view of the dryer;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged viewof a portion of a conveyor showing one of the sheet carrying devices in detail, and r Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of 2. 7

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

As before stated my invention concerns commercial cameras in which sensitive paper prises a housing 3 beneath the camera bod sprockets 8 and thence around spree in the continuous roll is exposed, severed, developed and fixed through the use of a semiautomatic developing apparatus from which it is delivered either washed or unwashed ready fordrying. Such a machine is shown in my rior Patent No. 1,421,079 June 27 1922. ere is therein shown a plurality of tanks and a tray or other final depository for the prints all arranged in a small dark room. After the print has been severed it is icked up. b an endless conveyor provide with suita le impaling devices for the purpose and carried throu h the several tanks after which it is deposited in the tray'in a wet condition. The resent invention contemplates providin or the developing apparatus an improve construction of dryer into which the washed print is carried by the conveyor and thoroughly dried before being returned to the tray or depository.

Referring to the drawings 1 indicates generally a familiar type of commercial camera supported on a stand or table 2. The developing apparatus embodied therein comorming a dark room in the bottom of whic are three vertical tanks 4, 5 and 6 constituting res ctively the develo ing bath, the fixing bat and the rinsing ath, the latter only with the rearward portion of the dark room being shown in Fig. 2. Running through the dark room near the bottom thereof is a conveyer consisting of side chains 7 running over ets 9 at the bottoms of the respective tanks. Connecting theside chains 7 of the conveyor at intervals are aplurality of cross bars 10 each provided with a-plurality of impaling devices 11 having the present form of barbed spurs or pins as best shown in Fig. 4. The an exposed print after beingsevered in the camera at t a front end of the dark room is picked up by one or another of these impalmg devices in a manner explained in my said prior patent but not of interest here and is retained on the carrying bar at its forward edge in the manner indicated in Fig. 4 wherein a fragment of the sheet is shown at A. After emerging from the washing tank 6 into which it is thus drawn by the conveyor, "9

- the rear end of the dark chamber 3 (one of which is fitted with sprockets 13 for the conveyor chains) and out through a narrow slotted opening 14 in the rear wall of the dark chamber to the drier hereinafter described.

In the practice of my invention I attach to the rear end of the dark chamber housing 3 the brackets 15 or otherwise a drying apparatus embodying a. downwardly extending casing 16 which is independent of'the stand or table 2 for the reason that it must move with the housing 3 as the camera is focused. \Vithin this casing is a series of inclined slides 17 in zigzag arrangement so that the lower end of one is in position to deliver to the upper end of the next lower one. These slides are supported at theirupper ends on the walls of the casing including a partition wall 18 and at their lower ends upon transverse shafts l9 and are of such a nature as topermit the free passage of air upwardly through thechamber. In the present instance the slides consist of rods or wires as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Turning on the shafts 19 near their ends are sprockets 20 for the conveyor chains 7 so that the latter carry the wet print downwardly dragging it from one to another of the slides upon which it rests and finally across slides 21 on a false bottom 22 with which the casing is provided. From thence the conveyor asses around a sprocket 23 and upwardly be ind the partition wall 18 to carry the print through a slotted opening 24 at the top of the casing 16 where it travels around sprockets 25 supported on brackets 26 and finally passes forwardly back into the dark chamber 3 at the top thereof through a slotted opening 27 being deposited therein if desired in the manner set forth in my said prior atent.

The print dries during its travel down through the casing 16 being exposed to a circulation of air on both sides and to hasten this drying action I provide for a forced circulation of warm air within the casing. Between the false bottom 22 and the bottom 28 is a chamber 29 containing a fan or blower 30 rotating on a vertical axis to force a cur: rent of air upwardly as shown by the arrows through an opening 31 in the false bottom 22. This air is drawn in to the chamber 29 through suitable lateral openings 32 in the casing and, before reaching the blower,

passes over heating elements 33 in the presout form of electrical heating coilshaving 'the terminals 34. Bafiies 35 at the sides of i The conveyor chains 7 are driven through I a motor 37 (Fig. 1) through a shaft 38 (Fig.

2) provided within the dark chamber 3 with sprockets 39. v 7

In the practice of my invention, I thus provide in combination a camera, a devel plin apparatus and a dryer, through all of w ie a print is successively passed by means of a conveyor as a continuous operation being delivered in a dry and finished state without requiring further manipulation of any kind.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a photographic apparatus includin a frame, a camera body mounted on sai frame and movable thereon for focusing and a dark chamber attached to said camera body and containing photographic print developing apparatus, said camera body and dark chamber being movable together as a unit when said bodyis shifted for focusing, the combination with print drying apparatus mounted on said dark chamber exteriorly thereof and movable as a unit therewith, of print conveying mechanism for moving a developed print from said dark chamber to said drying apparatus.

2. In a photographic apparatus including a frame, a camera front and lens supported from said frame, a camera body having a focal plane support therein mounted on said frame for movement along said frame for focusing, and a dark chamber containing photographic print developing apparatus attached to said camera body and movable along said frame as a unit therewith,the combination of print drying apparatus mounted exteriorly of said dark chamber and secured thereto to move along said frame as an integral unit with said dark chamber and camera body when the latter is moved for JOHN S. GREENE.

paratus. 

